This past season, we had the opportunity to visit Mammoth Cave National Park and discovered an awesome place to camp and trail ride — the brand-new Mammoth Cave Horse Camp, located adjacent to the park at the First Creek Trail Head.

From someone who stays at a lot of different horse camps, I can honestly say that you’ll want to visit this one. You can saddle up and ride out of camp directly onto the trails that run throughout the national park.

Miles of Trails
Mammoth Cave National Park has more than 60 miles of well-marked equestrian trails. We found these backcountry trails to be very diverse. You can ride three abreast through large timber or meander single file under beautiful cliffs overlooking the Green River.
With creek crossings, waterfalls, river overlooks, tall cliffs, rock face, and an abundance of wildlife, we saw something new and beautiful around every bend.

Comfortable Camp
The campground is one of the nicest facilities we’ve ever visited. The campsites feature level, gravel pads situated in a wooded setting. The barn has roomy, 10-by-12-foot stalls for your horse to relax in after a long day.

The restroom/shower building is top notch, with large, individual private showers and dressing areas. The entire campground is very clean and well-maintained.

The camp store offers camp supplies, tack, and terrific souvenirs. The campground owners and staff were full of that southern hospitality, often playing bluegrass music on the store’s front porch.

We were there on one of the camp’s “special event” weekends, so we enjoyed delicious, home-cooked meals, karaoke, and a live country band. Meals are served under a covered pavilion with a stage and a dance floor.

We had a great time at Mammoth Cave Horse Camp and are looking forward to our return visit this year.
For more information on Mammoth Cave Horse Camp, call (888) 682-3598, or visit www.mammothcavehorsecamp.com. For
more on Mammoth Cave National Park, call (270) 758-2193, or visit www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm.